According to the police reports, the weapon being carried by Mark Duggan on Thursday was a converted handgun capable of firing real ammunition.

Two police cars and a double decker bus were torched and several local stores were looted by violent rioters last weekend in northern London, Tottenham.

Riots began Saturday evening after more than 120 people marched from Broadwater Farm to Tottenham police station to demand “justice” over the Thursday deadly shooting of a young black man, Mark Duggan, by the police.

Forensic tests on Mark Duggan’s death are being carried out on the handgun found at the scene of Duggan’s fatal shooting and bullets fired by the police.

Mark Duggan was shot by the police on Thursday August, 4

Ballistics experts have established that the firearm being carried in the minicab was a lethal weapon. It used to be a handgun which previously had not been capable of firing – a replica, a starting pistol or a collector’s weapon. But the gun had been converted, as many illegal firearms purchased on the street are – in order to carry real ammunition.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said they hope to have a more complete ballistics picture within 24 hours, which seems to be a complex picture, involving a number of tests to establish trajectory of bullets and how many were fired.

According to Sky the C019, firearms officer said that he never claimed Duggan had shot at him.

The officer involved in Thursday evening attempted arrest told investigators that he opened fire because he believed he was in danger from a lethal weapon. Two shots were fired; one hit Duggan and one missed lodging in another officer’s radio.

Forensic tests will establish eventually if Mark Duggan fired his weapon at all during the attempted arrest.

“IPCC investigators are currently liaising with scientists at the Forensic Science Service regarding analysis on ballistics. We would anticipate being in a position to share verified results within the next 24 hours.”

According to The Guardian Monday report, initial ballistics tests on a bullet found lodged in a firearms officer’s police radio was a police issue bullet – indicating that Duggan had not opened fire at the officer.

Concluding precisely what really happened when Trident officers, supported by members of the Metropolitan Police stopped the minicab carrying Mark Duggan on Thursday evening relies heavily on the ballistics results and the trajectory on the bullets fired.

Ballistic tests are also carried out to establish the range at which the shots were fired at Duggan. The Metropolitan Police joined the IPCC to say that any suggestion he was killed in an execution style shooting by shots to the head was “inflammatory” and inaccurate.

The IPCC said yesterday that Mark Duggan’s family is being kept up to date with developments.

Rachel Cerfontyne said the family’s concerns were not about contact with the IPCC but the lack of contact from the police in delivering news of his death to Mark Duggan’s parents.

“In the course of our contact (with the family) I know that the family – and indeed the community still have many unanswered questions,”

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